NOTICES
Director/Deputy DirectorsFlags To Be Flown At Half Staff On Friday

On
October 19th, Steve Martin, deputy director for operations, issued the
following memorandum, entitled “Lowering of Flags in Honor of Former
NPS Director William J. Whalen”:

To honor the passing of former director William J. Whalen, all
offices, parks, and regions, with the exception of the National Mall,
should lower flags to half staff on Friday, November 3rd.

A memorial service for William J. Whalen III will be held on
November 4 at 1:30 p.m. at the Fort Mason Officers Club at Bay and
Franklin Streets in San Francisco.

Donations may be made to the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, Building 201, Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA 94123.

INCIDENTS

Yosemite National Park (CA)Follow-up On Fatal Climbing Fall

On the afternoon of October 23rd, dispatch received a telephone call
reporting a fatal climbing fall. Jim Hewitt reported that he and his
partner, well-known climber Todd Skinner, had been working on a first
free ascent of the "Jesus Built My Hotrod" route on the overhanging
west face of the Leaning Tower. Skinner's fall occurred when he was
rappelling. Hewitt told investigators that he had been above Skinner
when he fell. As he was rappelling on the low-stretch ropes that they
had fixed on the route, Hewitt came to Skinner's Grigri descent device
on the rope at the point where he’d fallen. The Grigri had a
still-locked carabiner attached which had been connected to Skinner's
harness. When Skinner's body was recovered, the belay loop on his
harness was missing. The next day, rangers recovered a broken harness
belay loop in vegetation at the base of the wall. It was very worn at
the spot where the break had occurred. Hewitt later told investigators
that Skinner was aware that the belay loop on his harness was in a
weakened condition prior to the climb, and that they had talked about
its poor condition three days earlier. For further details, click on
"More Information" below. [Submitted by Keith Lober, Emergency Services
Coordinator] More Information...

Park rescue personnel, concession employees and Clark County
firefighters responded to a vessel fire at Lake Mead Marina on
Wednesday, October 25th. A cabin cruiser, located on the B dock, was
found to be fully engulfed in flames. Quick action and a
two-and-a-half-hour coordinated response stopped the fire from
spreading throughout the marina. The marina, located in the Boulder
District, has three main docks and moorings for hundreds of vessels.
Because of current low water conditions, responders had to haul
firefighting equipment 1500 feet down a head walk and out onto the
marina. Once the fire was contained, the vessel was cut loose and towed
to a location where it was safely extinguished. Due to the quick
response and heroic efforts by responders, there were no deaths or
injuries and only minimal damage to the marina and surrounding vessels.
[Submitted by Mary Hinson, Chief Ranger]

Haleakala National Park (HI)Kipahulu Area Closed Due To Visitor Safety Concerns

Cumulative effects of the 6.7 earthquake of October 15th and heavy
rains on the 17th and 18th led to road closures on either side of the
Kipululu area of Haleakala National Park. On October 22nd, the park
closed the entire Kipahulu area to visitors. The closure includes
the visitor center, campground, the pools at `Ohe`o gulch, and all
trails. The closure will continue until visitors and staff can access
the park safely. FEMA inspectors declared that the Paihi Bridge and
numerous rock outcroppings along the highway on either side of the
park’s boundary could collapse at any moment. The Hana Highway is
closed at mile marker 45.5, approximately seven miles southwest of Hana
town and three miles from the Kipahulu visitor center. The south road
(Highway 31) is also closed at mile marker 16 just past the Ulupalakua
store. Due to the county and state closure of these roads, there is no
safe access to the Kipahulu area. Kipahulu staff are preparing to move
into a temporary information station next to the Hana Post Office until
further notice. [Submitted by Dominic Cardea, Chief of Interpretation]

Yosemite National Park (CA)Rescue Of Seriously Injured Rock Scrambler

On Sunday, October 22nd, Valley District rangers and SAR team members
responded to a report of a 35-year-old woman who had a rock weighing an
estimated 1,000 pounds roll over her while she was scrambling on a
talus slope. The woman, who was located about 600 feet above the valley
floor in Le Conte Gully, suffered chest, spine and lower leg injuries.
The medical team stabilized her and placed her in a litter; she was
then hoisted out of the gully by a California Highway Patrol
helicopter. The CHP helicopter landed at Ahwahnee Meadow and
transferred her to a waiting Air Med helicopter to be taken to a trauma
center in Modesto. The entire operation lasted just under two hours.
[Submitted by Leslie Reynolds, Valley District Ranger]

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Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found by clicking here.
All reports should be submitted via email to Bill Halainen at Delaware
Water Gap NRA, with a copy to your regional office and a copy to Dennis
Burnett in Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO.

Prepared by Visitor and Resource Protection, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.